Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he wanted to"redefine" relations between the two countries, during his first-ever visit to Moscow.
"We respect all previous agreements and this great history, and we are trying to restore and redefine in a new way the nature of these relations," Sharaa told Putin at the Kremlin, almost a year after close Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted and fled to Russia.
Putin earlier praised the historic links between Moscow and Damascus, voicing hope for their expansion.
Assad was an ally of Russia, and Moscow’s scorched-earth intervention in support of him a decade ago turned the tide of Syria’s civil war, keeping Assad in his seat until his swift removal in December.
Russia, which has focused on the fighting in Ukraine and kept only a small military contingent in Syria, did not try to counter Sharaa's rebel offensive but gave asylum to Assad after he fled the country.
Despite having been on opposite sides of the battle lines during the civil war, the new rulers in Damascus have taken a pragmatic approach to relations with Moscow. Russia has retained a presence at its air and naval bases on the Syrian coast, and the Kremlin has voiced hope for negotiating a deal to keep the outposts. Moscow has also reportedly sent oil shipments to Syria.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday the future of the Russian bases in Syria was on the talks' agenda.
Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Sharaa and Putin will"discuss regional and international developments of mutual interest and explore ways to develop cooperation to serve the common interests of both countries."
Sharaa didn't mention the Russian bases in his brief televised remarks at the start of the meeting but emphasized the "historic ties" between the countries and noted the importance of developing them.
Putin, in turn, hailed Syria's parliamentary elections held this month as a"big success", saying they will help consolidate society.
In a recent interview with the CBS News show"60 Minutes", Sharaa said the Syrian authorities"will use all available legal means" to demand the trial of Assad.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized that Moscow granted asylum to Assad on humanitarian grounds as"he and his family faced physical extermination". Lavrov rejected speculation that the former Syrian president had recently been treated for poisoning, saying that he"had no problems in living in our capital and there have been no poisonings".
Russian delegations visited Damascus in January and September, and Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani visited Moscow in July.
For the new Syrian government, maintaining ties with Russia was important for rebuilding the war-shattered country and offered a way to diversify its foreign policy.
For Moscow, it's essential to keep its naval and air bases in Syria, the only such outposts outside the former Soviet Union that are crucial for maintaining Russia's military presence in the Mediterranean.
In the CBS interview, Sharaa noted that"Russia has close and long-standing relations with Syria, which relate to the basic structure of the state and to energy and food, for which Syria depends partly on Russian supplies, as well as some old strategic interests."
